Dairy products and specifically yogurt-like products form the largest segment by far of the market of probiotic products. Dairy products are excellent products for delivering useful probiotic bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and introducing them into the gastrointestinal tract.
The Bifidobacterium BB-12® is a well known probiotic bacterium. In the case of BB-12® the available clinical evidence indicates that at least 108 cfu viable probiotic bacteria per gram fermented milk product is required. Accordingly, it is desirable to have at least 108 cfu viable cells of probiotic bacteria per gram fermented milk product (e.g. a fermented milk yogurt product).
EP111392B1 discloses the selection of wild-type Streptococcus thermophilus strains having a relatively high oxygen level uptake ability thus improving the survival of a strictly anaerobic Bifidobacterium species when it is combined with the Streptococcus strain during fermentation of milk.